The Church
by Bryan Carlson
“The Church is the community of all true Believers for all time” (Grudem 853). One of my favorite questions to ask people is: how many Churches are in our city…our state…our country? The answer is one! We have many gatherings but only one Church.
Romans 8 defines this one Church as all those who possess the Spirit of God. In Romans 8:9, the apostle Paul writes, "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." Only those who have the Spirit of Christ belong to Him and are a part of his one Church. In verses 14-17, Paul continues, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." These verses make it clear that possessing the Spirit of God is required for being a part of God's family and being adopted as His children. Romans 8:28-30 explain that the process of salvation is a work of God in the lives of those who possess the Spirit of God and that this work results in the glorification of those who are a part of his one Church.
Jesus Christ is the sole head of the Church. Colossians 1:18 tells us, “He is also the head of the body, the Church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place (preeminence) in everything.” He purchased the Church with His blood (Acts 20:28) and holds ultimate authority over it. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul writes that God "put all things under [Christ's] feet and gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 says that just as a human body has many parts that function together under the direction of the head, so too does the Church function together under the direction of Christ. The various members of the Church are all important and necessary, but they must be united and coordinated under the headship of Christ. Finally, the Gospels themselves emphasize the fact that Jesus is the head of the Church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declares to Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." His Church is founded on the rock of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). As members of his body, we are called to function together in unity, with Christ as our head, to fulfill his purposes on earth.
Unity is dear to the heart of God but is one area we are the weakest in as a body of Believers. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a Church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:18). “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23).“That with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6). “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:3-6, 12). “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5). “The body is a unit, and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink…so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other…Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. “1 Corinthians 12:4-28). “What was more natural for God’s family than for all those in geographic proximity (the city boundary being the most natural) to assemble themselves together in unity under one body of leaders?” (Strauch 72).
The Church is the collective expression of God's redemptive work in the world (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Through the Church, God reveals his grace, power, and wisdom to the world, and calls people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The Church is also seen as the place where God forms and transforms his people into the image of Christ, and where they grow in their knowledge and love of him. The Church holds the central role in God's redemptive plan with members being united in faith, love, and purpose, as they serve the Lord together.
The Church gathers in local fellowships lead by a team of elders (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:27-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). These gatherings are places of accountability and discipline, where Believers are challenged and encouraged to live holy and obedient lives, in keeping with their calling as followers of Jesus Christ (Matthew 18) and where Believers gather to offer praise and thanksgiving to God, and to celebrate his presence and blessings in their lives.
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 853.
Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Leadership, 72.
